Diet may not reduce cancer and CV risk
Dietary changes might not reduce the risk of some cancers and cardiovascular disease, according to a recent study.
The Women’s Health Initiative trial involving 48,835 post-menopausal
women has examined the risks of breast cancer (JAMA 2006;295:629), colorectal
cancer (ibid, p643) and cardiovascular disease (ibid, p655) through a “dietary
modification intervention” programme, over an 8.1-year average
follow-up period.
The programme aimed to motivate participants — through strategies
such as group sessions and self-monitoring techniques — to reduce
dietary fat intake and increase consumption of fruit, vegetables and
grains. The comparison group received diet-related education material
but were asked not to make diet changes actively.
In the intervention group, 0.42 per cent of omen developed invasive breast
cancer, compared with 0.45 per cent of controls, representing no significant
reduction in
risk (hazard ratio 0.91; 95 per cent confidence interval 0.83–1.01).
The authors
observed nonsignificant trends that, they say, suggest a reduced breast
cancer risk with a low-fat dietary pattern, and might be shown to be
significant over a greater number of years.
Investigators also found that, compared with controls, the intervention
group did not have a significantly reduced risk of colorectal cancer
(HR 1.08; 95 per cent CI 0.90–1.29), or cardiovascular disease
(HR 0.98; 95 per cent CI 0.92–1.05).
Five a day okay Eating more than five servings
of fruit and vegetables per day can protect people from stroke, a
meta-analysis concludes (The
Lancet 2006;367:320).
The authors found that, compared with individuals who consumed
fewer than three fruit and vegetable servings per day, those who
ate more than five servings were
at significantly less likelihood of both ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke
(pooled relative risk 0.74; 95 per cent confidence interval 0.69–0.79).
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